Police reforms must for humane force, says MP

KOZHIKODE: M.I. Shanavas, MP, said here on Sunday that police reforms were necessary to make the force more humane, but the political situation in the State and the conduct of policemen did not permit them to be exempted from political interference.

He was inaugurating a district conference of the Indian Lawyers Congress and a seminar on ‘Police Reforms and Kerala Police (Amendment) Act 2007.’

He said A.K. Antony was the only Chief Minister who had the conviction to give the Police Department a free rein, adding that what was relevant now was whether the police could responsibly discharge their duties when given unbridled freedom.

‘Natural leaders’

Urging lawyers to stand up for the cause of human rights, Mr. Shanavas said lawyers were the natural leaders of any country practising democracy. “From Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama, we see lawyers at the helm. More than half the founding members of the INC were barristers. Even recently, we saw the role lawyers played in Pakistan to upturn dictatorship and pave the way for the return of democracy.”

The former Advocate-General of Kerala M. Ratnasingh urged lawyers to take a stance in the day-to-day legal matters facing the country. “We see the media, politicians and activists commenting on matters of law; it is time that lawyers also provided their valuable feedback to the judiciary at all levels,” Mr. Ratnasingh said.

.A reception was accorded to ILC State president T. Asaf Ali during the district conference. Congress leaders K.C. Abu, A. Sujanapal and P. Sankaran offered felicitations to Mr. Asaf Ali.